Vilson Alushi had vowed to burn his fish-delivery van if Albania failed to win a point against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy put paid to his hopes with a goal in injury time to end the game 1-0.

Why does one destroy his own property, and means of making a living, because his Soccer team loses?

Alushi duly doused his car with gasoline in the centre of the southern town of Delvine and watched indifferently as his friends alerted the firefighters, newspapers reported. They arrived promptly on the scene and unreeled the hose, only to find it was dry. It seems that residents living near the fire station had drained the tank to help them cope with Albania's chronic water shortage.

Memo to fire departments: make sure you have water to use to fight fires.